Assemblies which are adapted for electrical stimulation of a patient's spinal cord for pain suppression are known to be insertable percutaneously through a cannulas and into the patient's vertebral epidural space. During the performance of insertion procedures, such assemblies desirably exhibit a semi-rigid character within their elongated lead portions and within their electrical contact “paddle” head portions. Following epidural insertion and optimization of paddle head positioning, such assemblies desirably exhibit an alternative flexible and protrusion free character for enhancement of patient comfort during pain suppressing use. In order to minimize trauma to soft tissue structures during insertion procedures, such assemblies also desirably exhibit a small cross sectional size for insertion through a small diameter cannulas, and exhibit an enlarged electrical contact enhancing paddle head size after passage through such needle.
Known electrical stimulation pain suppression assemblies typically fail to exhibit one or more of the above described desirable characteristics.
The instant inventive assembly for pain suppressing electrical stimulation of a patient's spinal cord includes specialized structures which cause the assembly to exhibit and to function consistently with each of the above described desirable characteristics.